Carpet stretcher and tacker



(No ModeL) Y l I l A D. EMGPALLS. CARPET STRBTGHER AND TAGKER.

10.512,659.. 1 atente(1Jan.sa-,11894. l

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID H. MCFALLS, OF ELLENSBURG, WASHINGTON.

CARPET STRETCHER AND TACKER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 512,659, dated January 9, 1894.

Application filed March 24', 1893. Serial No. 467,409. (No modelJ To all whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, DAVID H. McFALLs, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Ellensburg, county of Kittitass, State of Washington, have invented a new and useful Improvement lin Carpet Stretchers and Tackers, of j which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in devices for stretching and tacking carpets, and the object of my invention is to produce a machine by means of which a carpet may be stretched and at the same time beptacked to the fioor while heldjin its distended position. I attain this object by means-of the mechanism illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a plan. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the hammer raised. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the hammer down. Fig. 4 is a vertical section through the feeding device. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section along the lines I--I on Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a detail view of the cup L showingr said cup closed. Fig. 7 isa detail View of the cupL showing the cup open, and Fig. 8 is a cross section of the feeding tube N.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The body A of my stretcher is constructed of ablock of wood or other suitable material, having upon its lower surface, that which comes into contact with the carpet, a corrugated rubber covering a, or if desired, the lower surface of the block a may be serrated or provided with serrated strips of rubber, or other suitable material, in order that the carpet upon which the stretcher is placed may be seized uponY by the stretcher in such a manner that the movement of the Stretcher will tend to carry with itthe carpet upon which it is placed.

At about the center of the upper surface of the block A,I secure the handle B by means of the hinge b. Near the rear end of the block A, I secure one end of the hammer C by means of the bolt o, making a hinged joint. The hammer shank C moves Within the 'slot D Within Ythe handle B. At the end of the hammer shank C, I secure thebifurcated weighted hammer head E. Near the lower end of the hammer shank C, I secure the rod F, whichis attached t0 the sliding collar G, nwhich collar G surrounds the handle B and reciprocates freely upon said handle. Near the lower end of the shank of the hammer G, and on each side thereof arranged in pairs I secure the rods II, which are attached to one arm of the bell crank lever J; said bell crank lever being secured to the block A near the front and on each side thereof, the rods H and their-attachments being arranged in pairs; the feeding mechanism being also arranged in pairs. I will describe one of each. The arm 7c of the bell crank lever Jpopposite that to which the rod His attached is provided with a sharpened upwardly projecting point, which comes into contact with the carpet near its edge when the stretching process is being carried on. The bell crank lever J, arranged in pairs at the front of the block A, is thusarranged in such a manner that the upwardly projecting point K will come into Contact with the carpet near its edge and when the hammer is raised, will hold the carpet at the edge to be nailed, slightly above the ioor. The hand of the operator is used to hold the hammer in a raised position, which is done by grasping the reciprocating collar G, andV holding it when the strain of the carpet would tend to pull down theprongs of the hammer with them. When the hammer is allowed to descend it is usually forced Vdownward by the hand of the operator, and the carpet is bythe upwardly projecting point K of the bell crank lever, forced forward and in positionfor the tack in the feeding mechanism to be driven into the carpet. l

To the forward end ofrthe block -A immediately beneath the Weighted hammer E, I arrange the cup L composed of two pieces of tin, or other suitable metal, made in the form of a truncated cone, so constructed that the two pieces forming the cap may be separated laterally and having attached to the sides of each piece one of the arms of a flat steel spring l; the operation of the spring Z being to 'hold the two portions of the cup L together, the springt being secured to the base plate M of the feeding mechanism.

To the base plate M of the feeding mechanism in front of the cup L, I attach the guiding spring m, which is a very narrow strip of IOC metal extending; into the cup L immediately in front of the opening of the tube N into said cup and arranged in such a manner that the tack entering the cupL from the tube N, will come into contact with the guiding spring m and the head of the tack will rest upon ,the guiding spring m inl position to be operated upon by the hammer bolt E. y

Extending from near the top ol the cup L in an upwardly inclining position, I arrange the tube N provided on its under side with a slot n, the sides of the slot n opening outward and downward, as shown in cross section iniFig. S. The slot n communicates with the cup L at its upper surface.

Extending upward from the base plate M immediately above the cup L, I arrange in the cylinder O, a hammer bolt E provided with a` collar `c and a spiral springe', by the operation of which the resiliency of the spring will hold the bolt in the position shown in Fig. 4,tlie lower end of the bolt above the cup L;

'lhebolt E is constructed ot such a diam-d eter as to allow of its entrance into the cup L for the purpose of driving the tack within the cup L into the carpet and floor. The entrance `ot' the bolt E into the cup L will cause the two lateral portions of the cup L to separate against the tension of the spring Z.`

The guide spring m will be drawn awayfrom contact withthe head of the tack and the forceV of the blow of `the hammer upon the hammer bolt E will perform the required result of `nailing the carpet onto the licor; When the spring e causes the bolt E to be raisedfrom the cup L, the tack in the tube N nearest the cup L will fall into the cup L and comeincontactz on one side with the guiding springm. In order to keep the :remaining tacks within the tube N in position, I ar` range the stud P to the spring l on one side of the tube N, as shown in Fig. 5, in such a manner that it will enter the lower portionof the tube N and be placed in front of the shank of the first tack `within the tube N. lVhen `the hammer boltEopens the cup L,

.the springZ being expanded, the stud p will be drawn out of contact with the tack and that tack will fall in contact with the bolt E', as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 4. The tack next above it will come down in contact withthe first. tack in this new position. When the boltEis raised above the cup L, the

first tack will fall into theA cup and the stud i is then stretched ,when the handle B is pushed upon; and in order to get a purchase for forcing `the stretcher and the carpet in connection therewith `along the floor I place the arm S, having one end pivotally secured to the block s in contact with the base board on the side of the room opposite that upon which the stretcher: is` placed. There are suitable rests T extending from the surface of the arm S in contact with which the end of the armB of the stretcher is brought, as shown in Fig. 2. A band U is placed over the arm S provided with a loop into whichthe foot may beplaced.` Then by drawing downward uponthe arms S and B the stretcher block A will be forced out, moving the carpet in the direction required. For the purpose of nailing the carpet in position, the collar G is drawn toward the end of the arni B, the rod F thus lifting` the hammer and at 4the saine time the rod I-I attached to the bell the stretcher, causing the carpet to be released from contact with the end of -lthe bell i i cranklever and fall down in front of the stretcher and at the same time the bolt `E will be driven by the hammer E into the cup L and drive the tack contained `therein into Vthe carpet and the floor.

My `invention is extremely simple ,iii its construction and operation and performs the a i work requiredfof it inV a positive and satisi factory manner.

I do not limit myself to the exact construcf` tion of the tack `feeding device, since -Imay i do without the cup L constructed in-the forni i;

shown.` I do not limit myself tothe hammer head constructedin the exactform shown.

What Iclaim as my invention, and desire 1. In a carpet stretcher, the combinationof f a block placed in contact with the carpet,1aii y IIO arm pivoted to saidblock, a hammer pivotedito said block, a bell crank lever, a `rod con-` i necting onearm of saidbell crank lever to the shank of saidghammenthe other arm of` lsaid bell crank lever beiugyadapted toengage with the carpet, a reciprocating collar"` `IIS ln.

upon said arm, a rod connecting said` collar@ with the shank of -said hammer, substantially as described and for the purposeset forth. 1

2. In a carpet stretcher, the combination of a block adapted to rest upon the carpet, ia* if hammer pivoted to said-block, an arinfpiv-` oted to said block, a bell crank lever pivoted to said block, arod connecting one arm-ofi said bell crank lever with the shankof said hammer, the other arm of said bell crank le# ver adapted to engage with the carpet `near I its edge, a collar placed uponsaid arm, arod connecting said collar with" said; hammer shank, a cup secured to the frontend of saidk block, a slot .along .the surface ofsaidcup nearest the block, a slotted tube connecting combination of a block, a hammer pivoted thereto, an arm pivoted to said block, with a tack feeding mechanism consisting of a cup open at the top and bottom, a tube communieating with said cup, a guide spring,aspring operated by the separatin g of the sides of the cup, a stud attached to said last mentioned' spring by the operation of which thetacks are held Within the tube, substantially as de.

arm of said bell crank lever to the shank of zo said hammer, the other arm of said bell crank lever being adapted to engage With the carpet, a reciprocating collar upon said arm, a rod connecting said collar Withvthe shank of said hammer, a plate fastened across th'e face of said block, adapted to engage with the carpet, with a rest consisting of an arm hinged to a block adapted to be brought in contact with the base board opposite to that toward which the carpet is to be stretched, with projections onsaid arm adapted to receive the end of the stretcher arm, substantially as described and for the purpose setforth.

DAVID H. MCFALLS.

Witnesses:

C. R. HovEY, C. V. WARNER. 

